


The meaning of life

by sam04



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Bullying, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic Reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-06-03
Packaged: 2018-07-12 00:18:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7076659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sam04/pseuds/sam04
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin's day starts bad - and ends up being wonderful. A story about birthdays, magic and idiots (the good kind as well as the bad kind).</p>
            </blockquote>





	The meaning of life

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [The meaning of life](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4333479) by [sam04](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sam04/pseuds/sam04). 



> This is a translation of the same story from German into English :)

*

What is the meaning of life?

 

Other people.

 

(John Green)

*

It was one of those days where you wished you never had left the bed. Merlin was tired, hungry and late and he all but turned and went back home. But the day was too important for that. Not only had he worked until four a.m. on his essay that was due today and was worth 35% of his mark – today was also the birthday of his best friend.

 

He stumbled into the lecture hall two minutes late but the professor only threw him an annoyed look and continued with his lecture.

 

‘Happy Birthday, Gwen,’ he whispered breathlessly to his best friend while falling down on the seat beside her. She beamed at him.

 

‘Thank you Merlin!’ She pushed package wrapped in tinfoil towards him and he frowned.

 

‘Shouldn’t I be getting you a present and not the other way round?’ he asked but he took the package nonetheless and put it in his bag.

 

‘Those are Nutella toasts,’ she grinned. ‘I can see you came to nothing this morning.’

 

‘You, Gwen, are a saint,’ Merlin sighed gratefully and looked longingly on his wristclock.

 

‘And after the incident with the kitchen knife I’m glad for every second in which I know you not to be in the kitchen!’ she added and Merlin gasped indignantly.

 

‘It’s not my fault my kitchenware likes you better than me!’ he grumbled. Gwen just chuckled and turned back to their professor who already threw them irritated looks.

 

*

 

Come lunch break, Merlin wasn’t much more awake and he nearly fell asleep at the end of the lecture. Gwen said goodbye to him in the hall afterwards.

 

‘Maybe you’ll meet your Prince Charming again,’ she giggled and left before he could reply. Merlin quickly looked around if anyone heard her comment but every student was already on their way to the cafeteria and he could wait reassured for his face to return to its normal colour before going to the cafeteria as well.

 

Afterwards he had two free periods and he stayed in the canteen to read. He had only read two pages when a group a noisy guys entered and sat down near him. He managed not to completely lose his concentration and continue to read until a shadow fell over him. When he looked up, Valiant, a brute from a year above Merlin, was watching him with a smirk.

 

‘Look who we have here,’ Valiant said and took one of Merlins book to look at it disdainfully. ‘Mr. I-am-so-much-better-than-everyone-else. Shouldn’t you be in class?’

 

Merlin sighed soundlessly. It was true that he mostly avoided his classmates – the only reason being his stipend and he didn’t want to damage that. Gwen and her boyfriend Lancelot were one of the few people he hang out with. Sadly, this behaviour had attracted people like Valiant who thought that meant he thought himself above other people.

 

‘I’ve got a free period,’ Merlin mumbled, even though he knew that would only make it worse.

 

‘Beg your pardon?’ Valiant asked exaggeratingly and put a hand to his ear. ‘I can’t hear you down here. You should know, I am a mere peasant!’ His friends who had gathered themselves around Merlins table burst out laughing. Merlin only rolled his eyes and tried to get his book back.

 

‘Yes, yes, very funny. Now leave me alone,’ he said firmly but there was no use to it.

 

‘Oooh, he wants us to leave,’ Valiant mocked. ‘Aren’t we worth your time, Emry? You think you’re superior to us?’ Merlin slowly felt the rage flaring up inside of him and he gulped uncertain. Now would be a very bad time to…

 

‘You should go,’ he advised Valiant and his friends without replying to his comment. But Valiant didn’t seem to like that. A hand seized Merlin’s collar and dragged him off his seat.

 

‘And you think you can tell me what to do? Who do you think you are?’ he hissed and shook Merlin a bit. Suddenly there were footsteps behind them and they could hear a loud ‘Hey!’ but it was already too late. Merlin felt something tighten inside him and a moment later he could see a chair behind Valiant flying through the air and crashing against the back of his head. Valiant stood still for a second and blinked confusedly but then Merlin felt his grip loosen and he sacked to the ground.

 

The only problem were his companions who, rather than worry about their fallen leader, turned to Merlin as well. Before Merlin could do anything at all he felt a fist connecting with his nose. The pain blinded him for a second then he saw how the three other boys were hurled away from him and he sighed in relief – until they sat up again and looked at him quite angrily.

 

In no time at all Merlin looked around him but the blokes blocked the exit and instead he ran between the tables until he found one in a corner that was more hidden than the others.

 

In all honesty, it was a bit embarrassing to be eighteen years old and to have to hide under a table but if he had to choose between being thrashed and having to hide, he would always choose the embarrassment of hiding.

 

To his utter surprise no one followed him and after a few minutes he began to relax.

 

He didn’t know if Valiant and his minions had understood what had happened here but he just hoped that the were too ashamed to have been ‘bested’ by him to think about what they might or might not have seen.

 

Merlin was about to crawl back from under the table when he suddenly heard footsteps coming his way and he quickly backtracked in the corner again.

 

‘Merlin?’ a voice suddenly called and Merlin widened his eyes.

 

‘Arthur!’ He was in such a hurry to come out that he bumped his head on the table and was dizzy for a moment but Arthur was already there and caught him before he could fall down.

 

‘What happened?’ Arthur asked after one look at him. Merlin blushed.

 

‘I… tripped,’ he mumbled and turned his head away from Arthur. They hadn’t been friend for a long time – if you could call their constant banter a friendship – and Merlin didn’t want come across as the idiot any more than Arthur probably already thought of him. There wasn’t a day when Merlin didn’t trip or made a fool of himself. And even if Gwen and Lancelot were completely convinced that Merlin and Arthur were made for each other and Arthur as much in love with Merlin was as he with Arthur (which he vehemently denied. He didn’t like Arthur that way. Arthur was just… _Arthur_ ), it only made the whole thing more embarrassing and Merlin definitely wouldn’t tell Arthur that he…

 

‘ _Mer_ lin’ Arthur had folded his arms in front of him and stared at him challengingly. Merlin looked innocently back – or at least he tried to.

 

‘I have no idea what you’re talking about,’ he claimed stubbornly. Arthur rolled his eyes.

 

‘Surely Valiant who just stumbled out of here just happened to have tripped too? Or maybe you walked into each other, laughed and then played a round of Hide and Seek?’ Arthur asked sarcastically and arched an eyebrow.

 

‘Valiant? I haven’t seen him. Maybe you’re seeing ghosts again?’ Merlin replied sanctimonious but he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep it up for much longer.

 

Arthur sighed annoyed. ‘Come on, Merlin, tell me what happened.’ Merlin shrugged. He opened his mouth but before he could say something he tasted the coppery flavour of the blood that still ran down his face.

 

‘Can you bring me home?’ Merlin asked with a small voice and wiped the blood away with one of his hands. Arthurs expression softened immediately and he nodded.

 

*

 

Merlin lived together with Lancelot in one of the rooms on the campus but since it was Gwens birthday Merlin knew that Lance was out with her. Consequently, their room was empty when they arrived and Merlin fell down on his bed in relief. Arthur searched the bathroom for a first aid box and came back only moments later together with a damp cloth.

 

‘Do you want to tell me now what happened or do you want to insist that you tripped until we die of old age?’ Arthur asked while he began to clean Merlins face.

 

Merlin sighed quietly. He had no idea how to explain that he managed to put Valiant and his friends to flight without also explaining that he was… different. On the other hand – it was Arthur. And even if he didn’t want to admit it he couldn’t imagine a life without Arthur and he also didn’t want to lie to him.

‘Who says I’m still around when you die of old age?’ Merlin eventually replied and looked Arthur in the eyes.

 

‘Don’t be silly, _Mer_ lin, of course you’ll still be around. If anyone dies first, it’s me,’ Arthur retorted and Merlin’s stomach clenched painfully at the thought of a world without Arthur. It wasn’t a world in which he would want to live.

 

‘D’you believe in magic?’ Merlin asked after Arthur had put the cloth aside. Arthur frowned.

 

‘You mean like love at first sight?’ he replied and cocked his head. Merlin shook his head.

 

‘More like … Harry Potter’ He made a vague movement. Arthur shrugged.

 

‘Not really,’ he said. ‘But it’s okay if you believe in it!’ he added hastily as if he’d seen something in Merlin’s eyes. Merlin took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

 

‘Do you trust me?’ he whispered quietly and his hands were clenched to tight fists. He would do it. Now or never.

 

Before Arthur could reply anything, he felt his hands on his own. ‘I have never trusted anyone as much as I trust you,’ Arthur said quietly and Merlin exhaled deeply.

 

‘I have magic,’ he said in one breath and opened his eyes. Arthur looked at him for a long moment then nodded.

 

‘Okay.’ Merlin blinked.

 

‘Sorry, what?’ he asked and his voice sounded hoarse.

 

‘Okay,’ Arthur repeated. ‘When you say you have… magic then I believe you.’ Merlin blinked again.

 

‘Just like that?’ he asked confused and Arthur nodded.

 

‘Just like that,’ he confirmed.

 

‘But… what if I lied to you?’ Merlin asked, still completely dizzy with that turn-about.

 

Arthur arched an eyebrow. ‘Are you lying to me?’ he replied and Merlin immediately shook his head.

 

‘No!’ he exclaimed and Arthur grinned.

 

‘There you go.’

 

‘But…’ Before he could finish his sentence he was interrupted by a pair of lips that were pressed to his.

 

‘I-‘ Merlin began again but Arthur kissed him once again. Blinking, Merlin tried to remember what he meant to say but he couldn’t remember.

 

‘What… was that?’ he asked hesitantly when Arthur had let go of him.

 

‘What was what?’ Arthur replied nonchalantly and stood up to bring the first aid box and the cloth back to the bathroom.

 

‘Arthur!’ Merlin exclaimed indignantly but Arthur just laughed. Shaking his head, Merlin jumped from the bed and followed him to the bathroom. There he surprised him by pressing him against the sink and kissed him – properly this time.

 

After that it was Arthurs turn to look a proper charlie.

 

‘I guess…,’ he began finally and licked his lips. ‘that you like me too?’ Merlin grinned.

 

‘You’re bearable,’ he replied and jumped out of Arthur’s reach when the other man tried to catch him.

 

‘Bearable? I am more than bearable!’ Arthur exclaimed and followed him out of the bathroom.

 

*

 

Later that afternoon they lay on Merlin’s bed and cuddled until Merlin suddenly sat up.

 

‘What’s wrong?’ Arthur asked confused but Merlin just shook his head and pointed to one of the pencils that lay on his desk. The pencil lifted and began to hover through the air, it took a few saltos and danced around.

 

Arthur grinned but he didn’t seem astonished.

 

‘You really did believe me,’ Merlin observed, his voice full of amazement. Arthur smiled and pulled him towards him.

 

‘Of course, you idiot. Did you think I’ve just said it without meaning?’ Arthur asked and sounded a bit insulted. Merlin kissed him in response.

 

‘When I was younger I thought I was a monster,’ Merlin muttered after he had lay back down next to Arthur again. Arthur’s arms tensed up.

 

‘You’re no monster, Merlin. Just as little as kittens or puppies are. You’re not to blame for the abilities you are born with,’ Arthur replied quietly.

 

‘You’re definitely a minority with that opinion… there are so many prejudices about magic. A few centuries ago and I would have been hanged!’ Merlin shuddered at the thought.

 

‘Fortunately we’re in the twenty-first century and there is no such thing anymore,’ Arthur reassured him. ‘But hey, there’s one advantage – you don’t have to worry about career choices! Just buy a crystal ball and you can work on every fair in the world. Now that would be fun,’ Arthur snickered suddenly and Merlin shoved him.

 

‘Idiot,’ he grinned and shook his head.

 

‘Your idiot,’ Arthur replied and bowed down to kiss him.

 

Merlin rolled his eyes. ‘That was sappy,’ he muttered but returned the kiss nevertheless.

 

The End.

**Author's Note:**

> So I seem to have a fable for this kind of ending but I only realized it just yet. I promise to be more creative with my sappy endings in my future fanfics! xx


End file.
